


Flowers for his Heart

by I_can_only_imagine



Series: (Flowers) For Him... [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: And I refuse to ever write him as one, Angst, Awesome James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Endgame never happened, Flash isn't a bad guy, Hanahaki Disease, He's an abused kid who can't control his emotions, Infinity War never happened, M/M, Minor Flash Thompson/Eddie Brock, Minor Michelle Jones/Shuri, Minor Ned Leeds/Betty Brant, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Rhodey is an amazing dad, Some Fluff, This takes place a year after Civil War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-03-05 21:02:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18836713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_can_only_imagine/pseuds/I_can_only_imagine
Summary: Harley Keener was an ass. Or, that's what it seemed like on the surface. In reality, he was just using sarcasm, his intelligence, and a bitter composer to cover up how much his life sucked.Tony Stark, Pepper Potts and James Rhodes moved him out to New York and eventually enrolled him into high school. As they raised him, they tried their best to show him that he really wasn't alone. Harley attempts a normal life with friends and after school clubs,but it's hard to do when his life is controlled by a set of accords, medicine and treatments for his heart, and the need to stay away from large bodies of water.But everything crashes down one night when he wakes up one night in a coughing fit with one thought in his mind."I'm in love with Peter Parker. And he doesn't love me back."





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> My tumbler will almost always be half a chapter ahead of this because I am doubling up chapters here!

“From childhood’s hour I have not been.”  
-Alone, by Edgar Allan Poe

My throat felt like it was on fire the night I realized my father was never coming home, and I couldn’t breathe. I kept coughing and coughing, but my lungs and throat didn’t clear of the disease. After my trash can in my room was full, I managed to stumble to the one bathroom in the house and continue coughing and gagging into the toilet.

I was eight years old, living in Tennessee with my mom and newborn sister. That day at school had been a rough one, getting thrown around by bullies who made fun of me for the fact that my dad had gone out for cigarettes five months ago. I got home and asked my mom about it, and she just started to cry as if there were no tomorrow.

Based off of the coughing and suffocating, there may not have been a tomorrow for me.

My mom ran into the bathroom, tears falling as she pulled me into her lap and rubbed my back, trying to comfort me as I sobbed and coughed. She said she had only seen the disease manifest in children once or twice at the hospital. That it was usually romantic love that caused it, not platonic. She said it was only if the platonic love was so extreme that it could do this.

I didn’t sleep that night. I just coughed and cried.

In the morning, I heard my mom screaming at my dad over the phone. She was saying this was all his fault, that his son would die because he was selfish. I had never seen her so mad before.

Mom spent the next year saving up all of the money she could. She was working three jobs and only eating when she absolutely had to.

The teachers at school felt bad for me. They never yelled at me for disrupting class when I went into a coughing fit, and always let me go to the bathroom when it got too bad. I was exempted from PE and activities. But just because the teachers were nice, doesn’t mean the kids are.  
To this day, I very distinctly remember when I went into a coughing fit on the playground, and EJ and his friends pinned me down, out of sight of any adults. They took the sleeve of a sweater and covered my mouth so that the disease built in my throat and block any way for me to breath. I blacked out from the lack of oxygen, then woke up in the nurse's office. I threw up several times, and didn’t stop coughing for a few hours.

It was only a week later that my mom took me and my baby sister to the hospital, having just heard about what happened. She checked us in and gave a doctor all of the money she had saved for the last year. The doctor and a few nurses got me onto a stretcher, and I was rushed back into surgery.

I stopped coughing after the surgery, but I also noticed that my heart felt empty. The doctor said that something went wrong in the surgery. That they were able to remove the disease, but they also removed all of my capability to feel love. Along with this news, they also told her that they discovered that I had a rare heart disease that had gone unchecked.  
We didn’t have the money for me to go into another surgery, or get the proper medicine, so it reminded unchecked.

I spent my year of being nine completely empty, but at least not in pain. The bullying continued, this time for being emotionless instead of being to emotional.

When I was ten, Tony Stark appeared in my garage. For some reason, that jolted my emotions right back to how they used to be without triggering the disease.

When the water tower fell, I felt a whole new kind on suffocation. Drowning. I thought for sure I was dead, but Tony saved me. Both EJ and I had to get jolted by the Arc Reactor to be revived, almost killing Tony in the process.

The jolt had made my heart condition worse though.

Tony and his girlfriend, along with his best friend James Rhodes became family. We spent three years together before my life fell apart, and I was moved out to New York.


	2. School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley starts school and makes a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumbler Chapters 1&2

“As others were—I have not seen,  
As others saw—I could not bring...”  
-Alone, by Edgar Allan Poe

There was a knock on my door, jolting me awake from a nightmare I was glad to be released from. I rolled my head over to look at my clock, it was five in the morning. I ignored the knock and tried to fall back asleep.

“Harley?” Lieutenant Rhodes called through the door. “Harley you need to get up.”

I ignored him.

My bedroom door opened, and the lieutenant flipped on the lights. I groaned, pulling my blanket over my head.

“Harley,” he repeated.

“It’s too early,” I whined. “The council can’t be so mean that they are sending you on a mission this early!”

“Work is work,” he said, ripping my blankets off of me.

Cold air hit me like a thousand needles, causing me to curl into a tight ball. I shivered and glared up at him, but he just smiled, obviously proud of himself.

“Why are you waking me up? Can’t Dr. Strange or Pepper just take care of me?”

“Nope. Stephen is busy with Wong in Hong Kong, and Pepper has a meeting in an hour.”

Slowly I sat up, rubbing my arms to try and warm myself, “I’m fifteen, I can manage on my own.”

“Harley, you’re going to school.”

My blood went cold from those words. After I moved into Stark Tower with Tony, Pepper and Rhodey two and a half years ago, I hadn’t needed to attend school. I was already years ahead of my class, and Friday was able to easily set up a homeschooling plan. My three guardians, plus the wizard that acted as a cool uncle never felt the need to send me off.

“Why?” I asked carefully.

“The council has a new rule, an amendment to the accords is what they’re calling it,” Rhodey explained. “All children and spouse of heroes must sign the accords and abide by the rules they set. Public schooling is a new requirement for all children.”

“I don’t know what was slipped in their drink, but I ain’t a hero’s kid,” I pointed out.

He smiled fondly and sat beside me, “I hate to break it to you, but Tony, Pepper, Stephen and I have been trying to adopt you for two years.”

I thought about what he said. How Iron Man, War Machine, Dr. Strange and a badass CEO we’re trying to decide who should become my patent. That was a custody battle I would love to see in court, but at the same time, it added a whole new pressure to going to public school.

“So who’s being put down as my parent?”

“It hasn’t been figured out yet. We just put all four of us down as your guardians for now, which means you have to sign the accords on the way to your new school.”

“When did my life become such a mess?” I let myself fall forward, my head landing on his shoulder.

He laughed at me, running a hand through my hair, “When you decided living with superheroes sounded better than the Rose Hill foster system.”

We sat in silence, me snuggled up to his arm, his hand running through my hair. As much as I loved Tony, Pepper and Stephen, I had always been closest with Rhodey. He always said I reminded him of Tony when they were young, with my sarcasm and intelligence almost replicating the way Tony acted in high school.

Rhodey’s mom, Mrs. Rhodes, has met me once over the phone during my second Christmas in New York, and demanded that I become her grandson. It was still funny to remember Rhodey quickly trying to explain to her that no plans for my parents were set in stone. He was so flustered, like he really didn’t want to make his mom sad, but was also afraid she would march right down to Manhattan and sign the adoption papers herself.

“What school are they sending me to?” I finally asked, miserably pulling myself out of the memory.

“They’re letting us pic,” Rhodey said, adjusting me so that the position was more comfortable for both of us. “We decided on this school in New York City. It’s called Midtown School of Science and Technology, or MSST. We went over hundreds of schools and this one is the best of the best for high school STEM.”

I nodded and sat up to rub the remaining traces of sleep from my eyes. At least I wasn’t being sent to some random, council picked school where they could heavily monitor and control my life. The accords sucked as it was, considering everyone who signed wished they didn’t have to, but now they were getting to micro manage heroes’ kids and spouse?

“Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll be waiting in the kitchen.” He stood and walked out, only closing my door after saying, “It’s going to be okay kid. Even if you can’t see it, this might be good.”

“Might,” I repeated, once I was all alone.

I pulled on a red shirt, jeans and a black baggy jacket. My hair was impossible to tame, so I figured I could make my futile attempt in the car. Before walking out, I took a long look at the photo that sat on my nightstand.

It was the last one that had been taken of my family all together. Mom sat on a chair in the front of our house, holding my five year old sister on her lap. She looked tired, and sick. I stood by her side, my hand on her shoulder. Tony was kneeling by Mom’s other side, Pepper right behind them and Rhodey right behind me. The Doc, Stephen, was the one taking the picture, so he was the only member of the family missing.

I stared at my own expression, so easy and happy. What could I be making me smile so wide that tears were pricking my eyes? From what I remembered, Stephen had made some kind of joke about how the picture would probably be blurry due to his shaking hands, or something along that line, and both Tony and Rhodey had made a quip about it. Mom has told them not to be mean, then Peter said something that made everyone break out into laughter.

This picture was the last time I smiled like that. Three days after it was taken, my life fell apart. It was the last time I saw my mother and sister, and the first time I had seen my father since I was eight.

I gulped and forced back the memories, walking out of my room.

“There he is, our little grown up,” Tony teases as soon as I stepped into the kitchen.

Pepper rushed over and sat me on a chair, trying to brush the knots out of my longish hair, “Were you really going to just let your hair stay like that? Harley, first impressions are everything. You’re a sophomore, and sophomores can be really mean when they want to be. Don’t give them a reason to be mean.”

“Yes Pepper,” I sighed, trying not to cringe from the yanking motions of the brush.

“Pep, give the kid a break he was on short notice,” Rhodey walked over with my new backpack and a thermal filled with coffee. “Here. Don’t drink all of the coffee in one class. You’ll need it to last you until lunch at least.”

“Thanks,” I smiled, then yelled a little as the brush caught a bad knot.

“How does your hair get this tangled in one night?” She mumbled to herself, slipping the hair tie off her wrist to put my hair in a small ponytail.

“Call is if anything goes wrong,” Tony said as Rhodey and I walked to the elevator to get to the parking garage. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, and if you do, name it after me!”

“Don’t do anything he would do either,” Rhodey rolled his eyes, and I stifled a laugh with a swig of coffee.

~~~

“Lieutenant, it really is an honor to have your son attending our school, we know how many other schools you most likely considered after all,” my new principal rushed, obviously trying not to show how excited he was.

We were in his office and I was sitting in one of those unbearably uncomfortable plastic chairs, watching as they talked. Only a few students were actually at the school this early, most of which looked as exhausted as I felt.

“The honor is ours Principal Morita,” Rhodey smiled that fake smile that he and my other three guardians had taught me a long time ago. They weren’t the first to teach me it though, my mom was.

I once saw her smile that way to a man who was hitting on her at the playground. He was going on about how awful his life was, and her only response was, “Well bless your heart. I need to be going now, but it was lovely speaking with you.”

That night at home she told me to always pretend to be listening. No matter how much I got annoyed or board, I should at least pretend. If I couldn’t pretend anymore, all I had to do was whip out that southern charm, and say a insult disguised and sugar coated as a compliment. It should always sound harmless and sweet, even when it meant something vulgar.

Pepper was very proud of me when an adult was talking down to me during a business meeting she had to drag me to. I just smiled that fake smile a said “Well ain’t that nice.” The man started yelling at me, saying I was being disrespectful, while the rest of the meeting tried to calm him down because it had seemed like I was being kind. Once he stopped yelling I said “I’m sorry if I offended you sir, I didn’t mean nothin’ by it.”

“Harley,” Rhodey pulled me out o the memory.

I stood up quickly and shook the principal’s hand, “It’s nice to meet you sir.”

“It’s nice to meet you too Harley,” he managed a smile, though seemed confused by the accent. I guess not everyone was in loop with tabloids that reported me being from Tennessee. “If you don’t mind waiting a few minutes, I actually have a student who will be showing you around the school.”

“Sounds good to me,” I rocked on my heels and looked at Rhodey, suddenly feeling like I was five, going to my first day of kindergarten. “Are you gonna stay?”

“I’m sorry Harley, I can’t,” he hugged me quickly. “Happy is picking you up from school, so just look for his car.”

“Okay,” I mumbled into his shoulder.

Watching him walk away, I got hit by a feeling of anxiety and loneliness. I had never worried this much about him coming home safe. I was always at the compound, watching over a monitor so that I was assured he and Tony were safe, but this time I couldn’t do that. This was also the first time in years I would be apart from my guardians for hours at a time.

It’s weird how the first day of school can be so scary, even at fifteen.

I sat back down and listened to the principal as he explained the rules of the school. We were just waiting for the student’s bus to arrive, so that I could get my schedule and take the tour of the school.

“What last name do you go by?” He asked as if it were a harmless, easy to answer, question. It was far from.

I didn’t want to go by Keener because of my dad, but at the same time, it was my mother and sister’s last names. Stark would draw a lot of attention, as would Potts since both of them are famous. Strange would just earn me another reason to be picked on, plus, Harley Strange sounded... strange.

“Harley Rhodes,” I settled on.

“Is the lieutenant your father?”

“No sir.”

“Your uncle?”

“No sir. He’s one of my guardians.”

He seemed to understand after that point that I didn’t really want to talk about it. I appreciated that.

“Sorry I’m late Mr. Morita,” a boy said, running into the office. “My bus got held up.”

“It’s okay,” the principal sighed. “Mr. Rhodes, this is your partner for today. You share the same schedule, so he can keep you company. Introduce yourself.”

“Flash Thompson,” the boy held out his hand for me. I stood and shook it.

“Harley K- Rhodes,” I introduced myself.

I was about an inch taller than the boy, being 5’7’’, but for some reason it felt like I was smaller than I really was. I got a burst of fear, remembering that this was how EJ used to make me feel.

“Come with me,” he smiled, leading the way out of the stuffy office. “I figured I could show you the library, computer lab, cafeteria and bathrooms right now. I’ll just show you the classes as we go to them if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all,” I said, following a step behind so I would have enough room to run if I had to.

He showed me each place he said he would, progressively making me put my guard down. He was shockingly nice, but I guess I thought that because I got his humor. He was sarcastic, and I could tell he was using it as a coping mechanism like me. I wondered what it was he was trying to cope with, but didn’t ask.

“Eating outside is better than inside,” he explained. “Never be the kid who spends lunch in the library or gym, that will just get you bullied. Plus, outside you can watch all the nerds make fools of themselves with failed rockets.”

I smiled a bit, hearing buried in his voice that he genuinely liked watching the rockets, “I’ll be sure to do that. Thanks for all this.”

He stopped short, and I almost ran into him. He was looking down, but from what I could see, he looked upset.

“Can I admit something to you?”

I found the question odd, but nodded anyways.

“I didn’t really want to do this, I’m only doing it to get out of detention,” he looked up at me a bit, but looked back down. “I had originally planned to ditch you at the library and

let you find your own way around the school.”

“What changed your mind?” My own question caught him off guard. He must have expected me to be mad.

“You turned out to be funny,” he shrugged. “You got my sarcasm and didn’t get all up tight about it. I guess... I started to think maybe you would be a cool friend to have.”

“And you’re telling me this because you don’t like to lie to your friends,” I assumed.

He told me I was right, and I smiled a bit, genuinely this time. I let him continue leading me around the school until the bell rung, feeling like a wall had been kicked down for me. A friend would be really nice right now.

~~~

During PE, something changed with Flash.

We had spent the day sitting with each other in classes, talking during passing period. It was really nice to have someone to vent to about the crap show that was my life, and he was obviously relieved to have someone he could just be himself with. But in PE, he wasn’t being himself.

“Hey Penis Parker,” he said to a boy passing by. He was a little taller than me, but only as much as I was taller than Flash. The boy looked annoyed when he half turned to us.

“Hey Flash,” he said like he wasn’t interested.

I looked between my new friend and the boy like I had just gotten hit by a bus. It was such a mood switch when Flash saw this boy that I wasn’t sure what to do.

“Don’t make an ass of yourself this early in the morning, Eugene,” a girl standing by the boy said, not looking up from her book.

Flash looked like he had been slapped from the use of his real name, “Whatever Michelle.”

The girl, Michelle, looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow at him.

A Filipino boy stood with the two, looking just as annoyed. He and the other boy’s body language told me they probably used to be afraid of Flash, but weren’t anymore.

The Filipino boy took notice of me first, “Hey, you know you don’t have to hang out with this guy, right?”

“I want to,” I spoke up, making all of them look at me like I was crazy.

“He means he has to,” Flash rushed to correct me. “The principal said so. I’m his tour guide.”

“I thought I hadn’t seen you around the school,” Michelle noted.

The first boy was looking at me like he was trying to figure out where he knew me from. Recognition flashed across his face when his friend said, “Aren’t you Tony Stark’s secret son?”

“No,” I kept my eyes on the first boy. “I mean, kinda. He’s one of my guardians.”

“Tony Stark is your guardian?” Flash turned to me wide eyed.

I shrunk a bit, “Yeah.”

“Peter works for Mr. Stark,” the Filipino boy said, referring to the boy Flash had called Penis Parker. The pun made since now.

I nodded slowly, not recognizing the boy, though the name Peter Parker was familiar. Tony had mentioned him once or twice now that I really thought of it. Happy had also mentioned an incident that happened with the same kid a few months ago, something about a villain they hadn’t noticed.

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard your name,” I admitted, keeping a straight face. “You were the intern that was there when Tony proposed to Pepper, right?”

“I was,” Peter nodded. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name, and I feel like I should.”

"Harley,” I said. “Tony and Pepper try to keep me out of public eye for the most part, so don’t feel too bad.”

Peter’s eyes suddenly became pitiful when he heard my name, “Oh... now that I put two and two together, I do recognize that name. Happy once picked me up from my apartment, and Mr. Stark was on the phone with a doctor-“

“Yeah,” I cut him off. “Well, now that that’s sorted out, can my friend and I continue our conversation?”

Michelle eyed me for a moment, then started walking, queuing for the other two to start walking with her.

“What was all that about?” I looked at Flash once they were out of ear shot. “Penis Parker?”

Flash shrunk back and shrugged, keeping his eyes forward, “I used to bully him. Old habits die hard, but I’m trying to get better. He luckily never let what I said get to him.”

“Well, if you wanna keep being friends, that kinda thing can’t be happenings,” I said sternly. I couldn’t risk another EJ being in my life, especially when this guy looked like he was screaming for help.

“It stops now,” he promised quickly. “I won’t ever do it again. Or anything like it. I’ll even apologize.”

“Good.”

And I felt good. Knowing that all it took was a few words, and he would stop. It had been a long time since someone cared that much and wasn’t family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Tumbler: what-if-i-imagine


	3. Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harley has conversations with Happy and Vision about his first day. He continues to adjust to school and gains another friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumbler Chapters 3&4

“As others saw--I could not bring,  
My passions from a common spring...”  
-Alone, by Edgar Allan Poe

“Hey Happy,” I said, tossing my backpack into the backseat as I sat in the front.

“Hey Harley,” Happy said, pulling the car out of the school parking lot. “How was your first day at school?”

I thought back on the day and had no hesitation to proclaim it as good. I told Happy about how I already made a good friend who cared about me before he found out who my guardians were, and I already had a project to complete in my science class.

“That’s great Har,” Happy smiled, not looking away from the road as he drove us out of the city.

“Are we going to the compound?” I asked, after taking note of the road we were on.

“We are, and everyone owes me ten bucks.”

“Why?”

“We had a little bet going on about how your first day at school will be. Pepper, Stephen and I bet it would be good, but Tony and Rhodey were convinced something was going to go wrong and you were going to call us at any minute in tears.”

“So why would Pep and the Doc owe you money too?” I pried more into the fact that he said everyone.

“They bet it was going to be so good that you joined a club. I thought that was moving too fast, especially for you.”

I nodded, wondering to myself if Flash was in any clubs. If he wasn't, I would probably end up not joining anything either, since I didn't want to be alone.

Happy and I sat in a comfortable silence for a few minute after that, then I turned to him and said, “I met Peter Parker. That one intern that you and Tony talk about so much.”

“Did you now?” Happy’s face both seemed excited and filled with dread. “Are you two friends now?”

“Not really,” I shrugged. “We only said a few sentences to each other, and it was super awkward.”

We returned to silence. I listed to the sound of the wheels on the road to keep myself occupied as Happy combed through my words in his mind. He told me once that sometimes when I’m speaking, I go too fast and he has to mentally slow time down to process whatever I’ve said. I guess I had been going way too fast, because he didn't end up saying anything at all.

“What’s his job at Stark Industries again?” I broke the silence.

“He’s an intern that does a little bit of everything. Like a temp, if you would. He works a lot of special security though. The day Tony proposed, Peter was there because he was being offered a promotion.”

“Security?” I asked The boy was taller than me, and he looked like he could hold his own in a fight,but at the same time, he didn't look strong enough to stop a bad guy or have the stomach to pull the trigger on a gun.

“A special security unit, yes,” he clarified. “I’m actually Peter’s supervisor. The boy knows how to take and give a solid punch. Do you remember that fiasco last year with the guy who called himself the Vulture? It’s okay if you don't, you weren't really all there during that time.”

“I kinda remember it,” I nibbled on my lip. “Spider-Man, that guy Tony got help from during the accords, he was the one that took him down, right?”

“Right. But he never would have been able to do that if we didn't have Peter Parker on the special security. He figured most of it out a month before we even knew we were in any trouble.”

I looked straight ahead at the road again. Peter being involved with the Vulture incident explains why he had gotten in the car and heard Tony talking on the phone with my doctor. A lot had happened in those few month after the accords. Everyone was regretting signing them, they felt betrayed the the rogues who called themselves heroes, so what happened to me was like a cherry on top of a burnt pie.

Tony was extremely temperamental after I was hospitalized, very easy to anger. Spider-Man had gotten in some deep trouble because he did something stupid that Tony told him not to do, and it struck his last nerve.

Happy pulled into the Avengers Compound, stopping up in front so I could get out and he could go park the car. I grabbed my backpack from the back seat and began my climb up the steps to the front doors. No one was waiting outside, so I just let myself in with the help of my Stark Watch, which had Friday programmed into it.

“Honey, I’m home,” I shouted into the empty space, looking around for my guardians.The halls were so empty my voice seemed to echo back at me for an eternity. I never really liked being in the compound. It was too monitored, I felt like I had to apologize to security cameras just for breathing a little too loud.

“They're not back yet Mr. Harley,” Vision’s voice didn't startle me. I had been moved to New York before Jarvis had become Vision, so I was used to that particular voice speaking out of nowhere.

“Hey Vis,” I turned to him with a fond tone. Before Jarvis became Vision, my nickname for the AI had still been Vis. I think something held over from the AI’s memories, because the nickname always made Vision smile so wide I was fooled for a second into believing that he wasn't a maroon colored Synthezoid, but a human man who was speaking to an old friend he hadn't seen in a longtime.

“I heard from Friday that you are going to a public school in the city, how was your first day?”

“Can we talk in the kitchen?” I asked. “I’m starving.”

Vis made me a sandwich and some tea, practically hanging off my every word. He told me that one of these days after school I should invite Flash to the compound so that everyone could meet my new friend.

“You seem really happy about me getting a friend,” I noted with a laugh, sipping my earl grey.

“I am,” he said. “It is nice that you finally have a friend. You always seem so lonely.”

I looked down at my cup and realized something. I had been lonely.

I always knew that I didn't like being alone, and I acknowledged the fact that I always was, but I had never actually thought of myself as lonely. Rhodey always told me that I needed to try to account my emotions and thoughts more instead of compartmentalizing them, I guess this was a perfect example.

“Hey Vis, can you explain being lonely for me?” I asked, not looking up.

“It’s a sort of subcategory of sadness. You don't feel right, like you could fade away because you have no one around you. Some people feel lonely even when they are in a room filled with people they love, because it’s not who they want to be with at that moment,” Vis gently took my hand. “But Harley, you don't need me to explain it, do you?”

I shook my head and bit my lip. I knew exactly what lonely was, I just didn't want it to be quiet. When it’s quiet, I think, and when I think, I get paranoid. In the few second of silence, I remembered how Flash joked that he was always late to class, but I was like an alarm clock. I remembered how he punched my arm jokingly, but immediately started to apologize and make sure I was okay. I thought of how when he walked off to the bus, there was something in his eyes that worried me. He looked lonely the second he started to walk away.

I knew what lonely was, and Flash did too.

Something odd though, was when I remembered P.E. and the way those three people looked. They were best friends,that was clear to a blind man, but it was just like Vis had said, you could be with the people you love and still be lonely,because you weren't with the person you want to be with at that moment.

“Vis, what do you know about the Stark Intern Peter Parker?” I asked.

Vis thought for a moment with an expression that told me he knew more than he was allowed to say. Gosh, this was as bad as googling him, but also somehow worse.  
“He started working for Tony and Pepper a little after the accords incident,” Vis started. “A few months ago he denied a promotion because it would mean less time with his friends and at after school activities. He lives with his Aunt, May Parker, in Queens and has foremost of his life. Why do you ask?”

“He goes to my school,” I shrugged. “Him and Flash… they kinda knew each other I guess? I didn't really ask too much about it, but he and his friends seemed odd.”

“Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones,” Vis said, making me look up in shock. He laughed at my expression, “They’re all on a decathlon team together that made the news a few months ago. Michelle became the head of it a little after the Vulture incident.”

“Wait, that's the decathlon team that almost died in DC? When the elevator broke? That was the team from my school?” I asked.

“It is,” Vis nodded. “If my search is correct, your new friend was also on the elevator. On his social media accounts he was raving for over a month after the incident about how amazing Spider-Man was. He still posts Spider-Man appreciation posts, and gets into regular online debates about the accords.”  
I had to let all of that sink in. My new best friend turned out to be obsessed with the same superhero I was. And for a very similar reason.

~~~

I could already tell I was going to hate weekends.

It wasn't even the weekend yet and I knew this, but it was Friday afternoon, and the weekend’s darkness was just four more hours around the corner.

Flash and I were sitting outside during lunch, watching as rockets launched into the air as high as they could. Neither of us had actually eaten,we both had a bad habit of doing that. We talked about the test in math, the latest drama online and weird crap that happened throughout the week. Oddly enough, I didn't feel the need to fill the silence when it came like I usually did.

“Do you want to hang out after school today?” I asked, looking away from the neon colored rocket and its plastic army man that had a parachute on.

Flash looked shocked by the question, like it had never been asked before. I waved a hand in front of him to snap him out of it, and repeated the question.

I would love to Harley, you know that, but, I have a decathlon meeting today. I’ve skipped way too many already,” now it was my turn to be shocked. Vis had said Flash was saved by Spider-Man in Washington, DC, but I hadn't really thought about the possibility that the reason he was in the elevator was that he was an academic decathlon member.

“That’s okay,” I smiled. He looked happy to show off how intelligent he was, and I was proud of him.  
We looked back up just in time to see the plastic army soldier detach from the rocket, his parachute opening to rescue him. Flash and I burst out laughing when a pigeon hit into it, poking a hole in the center of the circle of plastic.

Suddenly, Flash’s eyes lit up and he turned to me grinning, “You should join the Decath. Team!”

I blinded for a minute, trying to process what he had said. I was definitely smart enough for it, and competitive enough. Being on the team would give me something to do after school besides talking to Vis about the same things every day. Plus, it meant more time with Flash, and a lot of worry off of Pepper’s shoulders.

“Maybe I should,” I whispered, looking down at the grass. This would also mean more eyes on me at all times. I didn't even know if the accords allowed this kind of thing for me. And what if they ever needed my help back at the compound?

Finally I said, “I need to make a phone call,” and told Flash I would see him in our next class. I speed dialed Happy,but he didn't answer, so I knew he was probably driving. I tried Pepper, but she was in a meeting. Stephen was still in Hong Kong with Wong going up against who knows what life threatening being this time. After a little bit of debate, I settled on calling Rhodey.

“Hey Har, what’s wrong?” he asked after picking up on the first ring. His voice was tinted with worry, but he tried to hide it.

“Nothing,” I said, adjusting my backpack strap on my shoulder. “ I just had a quick question about some stuff.”

“Go ahead,” his voice relaxed.

I bit my lip nervously, “So, my friend Flash is kinda in this club, and he thinks I should join. I don't know what the accords say about that kind of thing. I also wasn't sure if it would be okay for me to do something that public in general, or if my doctor said anything about extracurricular activities after what happened a few months ago.”

I could hear Rhodey sit down on the other end and pull out a notepad to jot down what I asked. He thought for a while before saying, “well, first of all, the accords allow clubs as long as it doesn't conflict with hero schedules.Since you aren't a hero, that part is perfectly fine. Your doctor did say that you couldn't do anything like marching band or track, pretty much anything that could cause a shortage of breath or major adrenaline spike. What kind of club is this?”

“Academic Decathlon.”

“That won't be a problem on that end then, you would just need to take your medication as always and stay calm during competitions. The very broadcast nature of the club may be a problem with tabloids and the press, but it won't hurt anyone if you join the team.”

“So can I join?” I asked, almost bouncing.

“I think that would be a great thing Har,”I could hear him smiling. I happily jumped and pumped my fist,thanking him over and over, which he just laughed at. Once I was calm, he said that he would text Happy, Pepper and Tony about the change in schedules and told me to have fun at my first meeting.

After hanging up, I practically ran to Flash, who was walking to our next class and rushed to tell him I could join. He got about as excited as I had, and lead me to Mr. Harrington, the Decath. Team's head and my science teacher, to tell him I wanted to join. Mr. Harrington was overjoyed to have me on the team, and didn't even make me go through the application process.

Throughout the rest of school I watched the clock excitedly. Flash explained the rules and how the team worked in between classes, until finally it was time to go to the auditorium where meetings were held.

“MJ,” Mr. Harrington flagged down the girl I remembered to be Michelle, from my first day of school. “I would like you to officially meet our newest member, Harley Rhodes.”

“We briefly met on Monday,” she said,then held out her hand. “Michelle Jones, my friends call me MJ. I have been the captain of this team ever since a month after homecoming of freshman year. Meetings are every day of the week after school along with Saturday mornings during the time school would usually start. Saturday meetings last from two to three hours,Wednesday meetings are half an hour shorter than any others. Ten unexcused absences get you kicked off the team. You need to keep up around her, and to keep up you need to know a lot of stuff.”

“Flash already told him about all of that,” Mr. Harrington cut in.

“Oh,” she smiled, slightly sarcastically and turned back to me. “Then welcome to the team. If you need anything, come to me.”

“Thank you,” I smiled.

Flash and I took our seats in the mostly empty room and watched as two members practiced a match, ringing their bell to answer questions and make sarcastic comments at each other. Several times I had to stop myself from laughing so I didn't disrupt the match, but it was hard when everyone was so damn snarky.

The first person to notice my new face in the back of the room was a blonde girl who didn't look like she was a part of the team. She ran over to me and Flash, not paying attention another boy who told her to leave us alone.

“Hi,” her welcoming, enthusiastic grin was almost blinding. “My name is Betty Brant, I’m one of the anchors of Midtown High’s new cast. I don't believe I’ve seen you around here before.”

“I just started here Monday,” I explained. Outwardly, she reminded me of some classic mean girl in a bad teen tv show, but her presence felt calming, like a breath of fresh air.

“Your accent is really cute,” she commented, sitting down with us. By this point half of the room was looking at us, but we ignored them.

“Why thank you, but I’m sure there's better accents out there than rural Tennessee.”

“I don't think so. I think you hit the jackpot with the southern style. Your hair is really nice too. I wish mine would curl like that.”

“I wish mine would stop.”

Betty and I laughed together, and I felt warm.

“Dude, stop flirting with the news anchor,” Flash teased.

“I ain't flirtin’’,” I rolled my eyes. “I’m gay Flash. I’m just being talking to the nice girl.”

“Don't worry Flash, I have no plans on stealing him from you,” Betty giggled, then added, “Yet.”

Flash snorted, while Betty and I continued to laugh with him. Now the entire team was looking at us and my face went red.

“You should probably get used to the stares if you like having Betty around,” Flash noticed my embarrassment. “She gets everyone’s attention without even wanting it. That’s why she’s the best anchor woman in all of New York.”

It was Betty’s turn to have a faint blush and she jokingly hit his arm, “Eugene, when did you become so nice?”

“I guess it was this guy,” he gestured to me. “He likes to act all stoic, but he’s a big softy. Kinda rubbed off on me.

Betty decided to do the impossible in making me flush even darker by standing on her chair and announcing, “Attention Midtown Decathlon Team! Harley Rhodes is my new best friend. If any of you are too hard on him, I will not be happy! Clear?”

“Crystal,” everyone replied in unison like this had happened before, and it dawned on me that it probably had.

“Thank you!” she sat back down grinning, “So Harley, Flash, what are you two to after this?”

“Dinner at Harley’s place, some studying and a movie,” Flash said.

“You should join us,” I added.

Betty leaned back in her chair, “I should.”

And with that, our duo became a trio and I officially had my first two friends ever. A bully in recovery, and a popular news anchor who had everyone in the palm of her hand. Oh wouldn't my mama be so proud of me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Tumbler: what-if-i-imagine


	4. Dinner

“From the same source I have not taken…”

-Alone, by Edgar Allan Poe

 

Flash was sandwiched between Betty and I, being cuddled to death on the school lawn after Decath. got out. We had gotten into a pretty deep conversation, and Flash had started talking about the way he felt when it came to the team.

 

“I used to find it to be a safe place,” he explains. “The team was opening, and kind. Then I started making jokes, and I know my humor doesn’t appeal to everyone, but they started to give me weird looks and avoid me. Ever since freshman year, I’ve always been so jealous of Parker because he had everything. I picked on him because he was perfect, and it never phased him. The one time I had the spot light, he pushed me out of it again when he didn’t even deserve to have it back. They all love him and hate me, I get that, but if they would just give me five minutes, I would never ask for anything ever again. Five minutes to prove I’m not who they think.”

 

“Flash, you deserve a lot more than five minutes” I said, hugging his head to my chest as Betty ran a hand through his hair. “If they won’t let you in, then Betty and I will.”

 

I heard Flash sniffle a bit, but he didn’t say anything. Betty kissed his cheek, “They have no clue what they are missing out on. You are smart, and protective, and kind. Harley and I will always be here, we promise.”

 

“Thank you,” he whispered.

 

A sudden honk startled us all into sitting positions. A sleek silver cat had pulled up on the curb, that I recognized immediately. The window rolled down and we were greeted by Rhodey’s smiling face, “Hey kids. Happy couldn’t make it, so I will be your river today.”

 

“Is that really”

 

“It is,” Flash grinned, answering Betty. Her mouth hung open, making Rhodey and I burst out in laughter.

 

“Darlin’, you’re gonna catch flies,” I said, getting up off the grass.

 

Flash helped out still shocked friend into the car and I climbed into the back with them. After we all buckled up, Rhodey pulled out of the school and made his way through the city.

 

“So kids, we have an hour before dinner at Stark Tower and I’m not in the mood to go back to the compound,” Rhodey looked at us through the rear view mirror when we were at a red light. “Who wants to go to the Himalayas and meet a real wizard?”

 

“The Himalayas?” Flash asked. “Sir, er, lieutenant, we can’t get to the Himalayas and back to New York in an hour.”

 

“And I don’t have a passport,” Betty added.

 

I just smirked, sharing a look with Rhodey in the mirror, as he took off to the New York Sanctum.

 

Rhodey made a parallel park in front of the five story tall building on the corner of Bleecker Street. Getting out of the car, I looked up to the fifth floor where a circular window sat in the center of the wall, overlooking the New York streets. The window was empty.

 

We lead my friends inside and up the stairs to the fourth floor where three sets of glass double doors displayed the rain forest, the California beach, and a desert. I looked up at Rhodey for permission before running to the middle door, the one displaying the stony beach. I turned the dial until we could see the streets of Kathmandu.

 

I opened the glass doors holding out my hand to my friends to help them through.

 

“How does it feel to be wrong?” I asked once we were standing fully in an alleyway, the cold nipping at our skin. My friends both had wide eyes, and were almost frozen from shock.

 

Rhodey walked up to a green door on the plain wall and knocked a quick code the sorccerrers had taught us. In the blink of an eye, we were inside the open space of Kamar Taj’s entry room.

 

If my friends said anything, I didn’t hear it, because as soon as we walked into the corridor a certain red cloak wrapped around my ankle and hung me upside down from the ceiling. My friends and guardian all burst out into laughter as I struggled with the cloak, yelling for it to put me down while trying to keep my shirt down.

 

Uncle Stephen wouldn’t have noticed the three standing in the corridor had it not been for my yelling for help. He had his nose stuffed in a book, Wong walking beside him and speaking quickly,but when he heard me, he looked up and grinned.

 

“Is the cloak being mean to you?” he asked, paying no mind to the two laughing teens who were practically rolling on the floor.

 

“Tell this glorified rug to put me down,” I begged.

 

“I don’t know, what did Rhodey say?” Stephen turned to my guardian.

 

“I say keep the punk upside down,” Rhodey said, smirking up at me.

 

“You are the worst uncle and parent ever,” I whined. I tried to pull my leg out of the cloak’s grasp but was unsuccessful. “Betty, Flash, stop laughing and help me!”

 

“Nope,” Betty finally said through fits of giggles.

 

“Never,” Flash agreed.

 

After another minute I gave up and let myself hang there, arms crossed over my chest. Stephen waved his hand and I was gently lowered until Levi could lie down on the floor. I stood, fixing my shirt and hair in a huff. Betty walked over and helped me, poking at my flushed cheeks until I smiled.

 

“Is this your first time in the Himalayas?” Uncle Stephen asked Betty and Flash as he gave them a tour of Kamar Taj.

 

“This is my first time outside of the country in general,” Betty said, looking around us in aw.

 

“Are you really the boss here?” Flash asked.

 

“Well, I wouldn’t call myself the boss,” the doc shrugged. “They call me the Sorcerer Supreme, and in a normal workplace I would be the boss, but this is no normal workplace.”

 

As we passed a set of pillars looking out into the outdoor courtyard, we all peaked out to the class. They were learning about pushing their astral forms out of their bodies then back in.

 

“What do you people even do?” Flash asked.

 

“We protect your reality from outside threats that the Avengers can’t,” Stephen explained,continuing the tour. “We fight beings from other dimensions and universes. The multiverse is a very dangerous place, and the sorcerers are earth’s first line of defense.”

 

“So you can do real magic?”

 

“Correct. We call it The Mystic Arts, though. Magic is really just science that humans don’t understand. We bend matter, space and time, drawing energy from other dimensions and from our own untapped power.”

 

Rhodey and I were proudly ginning as my friends asked questions in amazement. We followed a step behind them to give them space, but still close enough to hear everything.

 

Rhodey nudged me, still looking straight ahead, “I told you this might be good.”

 

“What can I say, mother is always right,” I teased, making him laugh.

 

“So I’m mother now?”

 

“Ya always have been.”

 

We both started laughing while Stephen was in the middle of explaining the time stone, earning a glare from my uncle..

 

“Speaking of which,” Rhodey whispered now out of courtesy to the doc. “There is something we need to talk about when your friends go home. Tony, Pep and I had a long conversation after our mission a few days ago, and we feel it’s only right to get your opinion on the matter.”

 

Rhodey looked down at his watch and cleared his throat, “Well kids, that’s all the time we have for today. Maybe the good doctor will invite you to come back another time.”

 

“Of course,” Stephen nodded.

 

Both of my friends made a disappointing sounds, but followed Rhodey and I back to the entrance hall. Stephen offered to portal us right back to the tower, but Rhodey wanted to get his car, so we said our goodbyes and were off through the portal door.

 

During the drive back to the tower Flash, Betty and I nerded out over Uncle Stephen’s magic. It was fun to hear their personal opinions of the logic of it all, Flash being a firm believer in science, and Betty always open to the idea of real magic.

 

After seeing Kamar Taj nothing really seems impressive anymore, but they were still amazed by Stark Tower. They seemed especially interested in the renewable energy source that made the tower so different from everywhere else, as well as the elevator that ran on magnetism. The first floor was furnished like a modern home with those weird chairs that have no back, and clean, shiny surfaces. The first ten floors were reserved for tech only, the penthouse was where Tony and Pepper lived, then two floors below them was what we called the family floor, where Rhodey and I lived. The family floor had a bright fire place in a corridor living room that had one door beside the couch that leads to the kitchen, and a half way that lead to the bedrooms and bathrooms.

 

Below the family floor was the business floor where we had a large dining room with a long table you sit at during board meetings. I never liked the business floor, it was too clean and modern like the first floor of the tower, so we usually just ate on the family floor. Tonight though, when we got to the family floor, there was a note in the kitchen saying we were on the business floor tonight since we cant fit everyone at the five setter table.

 

Rhodey and I didn’t think much of it, we figured that they just didn’t want to cram six people around our table. On the way down to the business floor I explained to my friends that my guardians were going to try and test them since they are very protective over me. They both just laughed, probably not understanding how deadly serious I was.

 

We walked into the dinning room laughing and joking, pushing each other around and making really bad jokes. All of us froze when we realized there were three other people besides Pepper and Tony sitting at the long white table.

 

I wasn’t all that surprised to see Happy, though he rarely ate with us, but it was a little shocking to see his girlfriend sitting by his side. They had been dating for a month or two, but she had never actually come over to the tower. She had long, straight brown hair and circular glasses, and even I couldn’t deny the fact that the woman was extremely beautiful. She was really good for Happy, and I loved the days that she hung out with him and I at the compound. It was that a boy was sitting beside her,looking more comfortable in my own home than I felt.

 

“Harley, you shouldn’t be all that shocked, May and I have been talking about her having dinner with us for weeks,” Happy said with a laugh when he saw my expression.

 

“Yeah, uh, hey May,” I said, unable to remove my eyes from the boy.

 

“Didn’t I tell you that her nephew was Peter?” Happy asked.

 

Slowly I shook my head.

 

When I looked at May and Peter Parker sitting next to each other, the dots definitely connected. They boy had those big brown eyes and toned olive skin that reminded me of the locals in Italy that I had met on vacation once. Their voices as well as sense of style were even similar, to the point that I would have been convinced that May was his mom.

 

From the corner of my eye I saw Flash shrink and Betty instinctively stepped a foot in front of him. I felt hostile towards the boy, and in a hot flash of anger almost turned and left the room. I wished I could tell him off for the way he and the rest of the team made Flash feel, but held myself back due to the fact that his aunt was a pretty awesome person. I shocked myself when I realized later that it wasn’t only Flash that made me mad at Peter Parker, I was suddenly understanding what Flash was talking about. I was jealous that he had as amazing on an aunt as May, jealous of how Tony was talking to him before we walked in, as though Peter were his child and not me, jealous of the way all of my family seemed to love him.

 

“Peter told me he met you on Monday,” May smiled like it was a good first meeting. “He was asking a lot about you that night.”

 

“Aunt May!” Peter looked at her in embarrassment.

 

“Harley was asking about Peter too,” Happy said, earning himself a glare from me.

 

Rhodey must have been the only one who sensed the waves of annoyance I was practically radiating. He guided us to our seats that were on the other end of the table, as far from Peter as he could get us. I could see something in Betty’s expression change when she was seated in front of May. It eerily reminded me of Pepper.

 

“Hello Ms. Parker, I’m Betty Brant,” she said, holding out her hand with a business like smile. “Midtown High’s news anchor. I believe we met at one of the Decath. matches last year.”

 

“I believe we did,” May smiled and shook her hand. If she sensed Betty’s tension, she didn’t let it show. “It is very nice to meet you again Betty. I didn’t realize you were Harley’s friend.”

 

“We just became friends today actually,” Betty said.

 

“Tony, Pep, Happy, these are my friends Flash and Betty,” I introduced them, letting myself relax a bit.

 

“So you’re the one he won’t stop talking about,” Pepper said jokingly to Flash.

 

“I am afraid so Ms. Potts,” Flash laughed a little.

 

“I like him,” Pepper whispered to me. “Does the girl remind you of anyone?”

 

I couldn’t help my laugh. After that point, everybody melted into easy conversations or ate their food. Betty talked with Peter a little, but he was mostly engaged with Tony. I pushed down my growing dislike for the guy and ignored him until he decided to try to talk to me.

 

“So how are you liking the school Harley?” he asked.

 

I froze up. Everyone was suddenly looking at me.

 

“It’s a good school,” I said. I slapped on that fake smile, causing Happy to cringe in recognition of it and Pepper to raise an eyebrow at it.s use. “The teachers are very helpful so far, and most of the students are nice.

 

“Did you enjoy your first Decath. Meeting?”

 

“For the most part. I spent most of it watching how things are done, and talking to these two. Definitely a better way to spend my time instead of wasting away at the compound.” I said.

 

Tony snorted, looking to Peter, “This boy spends more time at the compound than anyone else, I swear. He hates being alone in the tower, and doesn’t like tag along with Stephen all day unless he’s in the library. Pep was the only one who could ever seem to get him out of there by bribing him with talking down a cocky businessman.”

 

Everyone laughed easily,but I had to force it through slightly gritted teeth. I didn’t like this one bit. Tony had always teased, but only with family, it felt different when I barely knew the guy he was telling my stories to. Flash saw the way my smile was trying to slip, and took my hand under the table for comfort. A wave of calmness passed over me, allowing the smile to return to its full strength and for the conversation to move on.

 

After dinner, my friends and I made our way to the elevator where we loaded in and pressed the button for the family floor. Before the door could close through, Tony stopped it and stepped in with Peter.

 

Betty, Flash and I started talking about what movies we were up for watching tonight, and what snacks were required for it. Tony and Peter were talking in hushed tones, so quiet I could barely hear them, but a certain hero’s name caught my ear and I started half listening in to what they were saying.

 

“So you have a new design for Spider-Man’s web shooters-”

 

“There’s a new security threat somewhere in Brooklyn-”

 

“How late is May letting you stay out-”

 

Betty and Flash when quiet when they saw me looking at my guardian and Parker from the corner of my eye.

 

“So Mr. Stark, what do you have planned for tonight?” Betty asked. I could practically feel her suppressing her interviewer voice she used early that day on a boy on the Decath. Team.

 

“Peter and I have some work to do in the lab,” he said, giving her a pleasant smile. “You kids are studying for a test this week, right?”

 

“That was the original plan, but Betty and I have all of the stuff down already, and Harls is a genius,” Flash said, nudging me playfully.

 

I rolled my eyes, “We decided to have a movie night instead. Maybe a sleepover if you’re cool with it.”

 

“Har, you know me, of course I’m ‘cool’ with it,” Tony said. Then, he looked at Peter and the light bulb went off in his head. “Maybe Peter should join you.”

 

“Mr. Stark, I’m busy tonight in the lab with you,” Peter said.

 

“If they want you to join them, then I’ll let you off the hook for tonight.”

 

A beat passed and Flash was the first to speak, “That would be cool. I mean, we’re just marathoning Battlestar Galactica and eating junk if that’s what you’re into.”

 

“I’ve never actually seen Battlestar all the way through,” Peter admitted.

 

“Then join us,” I said, now assured that Flash was okay with this happening.

 

“Sounds good then,” he smiled.

 

We stepped out of the elevator at the family floor, leaving Tony alone. Peter said thank you and goodnight before the elevator closed, then shot May a text to let her know where he was. Flash and Betty made class to their respective parents to make sure it was okay that they spent the night while Peter and I went to the kitchen to get popcorn and other snacks ready.

 

“Can you make the popcorn?” I asked him, walking over to the fridge. “It’s on the third shelf in the pantry with all of the sessioning. You can pick whatever toppings if you want it.”

 

Parker nodded and started it up, leaning against the counter, “What are you making?”

 

“Sugar strawberries and peaches n’ cream,” I said, pulling the fruits out of the fridge.

 

I looked up to see Peter raising an eyebrow at me, so I sighed and explained, “Strawberries covered in sugar, so just what the name sounds. Peaches n’ cream are peaches, or other assorted fruits in heavy whipping cream with sugar and whipped cream on top.”

 

“You southerners really like your sugar,” Peter commented, pulling the bag of popcorn out of the microwave to put another in.

 

“Only with our oxygen,” I snarked, popping a blueberry in my mouth after dipping it in sugar. I cut off the tops of the strawberries then rinsed them off and got to work on dipping them in sugar.

 

Peter snorted, dumping the contents of the popcorn bag into a large bowl.

 

We worked silently after that until he had made three bowls of popcorn with different seasoning on each. I wasn’t quite done yet, so he hopped up on the counter and watched me work.

 

Carefully I sat the four bowls of peaches and blueberries drown in cream and sugar onto their own plates,leaving plenty of room to decoratively set up the strawberries. In the blank space left on each plate, I carefully placed slices of bananas leaning on each other. When the full arrangement of the plates was done, I topped off the peaches n’ cream with whipped cream,then spraying a dollop on each strawberry and banana. I shook the can at the end, sure that there was only a little left, and squirted it in my mouth.

 

I saw Peter make a weird face from the corner of my eye and I turned to him.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing, nothing,” he held up his hands. “It’s just… that’s kinda gross.”

 

“Of course you would think so,” I said, tossing the empty cans in the trash.

 

“What is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Nothin’ offensive bud, just that you’re a New Yorker, born and breed, so I understand if you have no clue what it means to take that chip off your shoulder and live,” I shrugged. I started putting the remaining fruits away in the fridge, along with the leftover cream.

 

“Just because I think it’s gross to have whipped cream straight from the can doesn’t mean I have a chip on my shoulder,” he said.

 

“Oh yeah?” I asked, pulling another, almost empty can of whipped cream from the back of the fridge. “Have you ever actually tried it?”

 

“No,” he said,watching me carefully.

 

I tossed the can at him without warning and leaned against the counter as he caught it. “Try it,” I said, gesturing to the can.

 

“I’ll pass,” Peter said.

 

“And there goes that chip on your shoulder, perkin’ right up.”

 

“I won’t be peer pressured into having whipped cream from the can.”

 

“You sure ‘bout that?”

 

We had a staring contest, never breaking eye contact. Finally his resolve crumbled and I grinned as he popped the cap off.

 

“How do you even do this?” he asked.

 

“Shake the can, of course, then tip it upside down over your mouth with your head tilted back,” I instructed. “Try not to inhale or put the can in your mouth.”

 

Peter did as I said, swallowing down the whipped cream then making another odd face as he tossed the can back to me.

 

“You know, that was actually good for some reason,” he said.

 

“Fresh out of the can, it’s better than when it sits in the air,” I shrugged, putting it away.

 

I listened for a second for Flash or Betty. It sounded like Betty was putting the disk for the first session, and Flash was still on the phone with his mom or dad.

 

“So I need to give you a quick shovel talk because I don’t have that long before one of them wanders in here,” I said, causing him to gain a confused expression. “Flash messed up in teasing you okay, but he’s trying to fix it. If you even fucking think about ignoring his attempts at a new start or push him out of the light ever again, I will personally make you see stars. I know you guys are seventeen, and I only know of when it happened when you were fifteen, but I’m smart enough to figure out that stuff like that has happened multiple times.”

 

“I understand,” Peter said, putting his hands up again. “Though, you talk like you aren’t our age.”

 

“I’m fifteen,” I said bluntly. “Was pushed up two year in schooling as a kid back in Tennessee.”

 

He blinked in shock for a moment, but before he could say anything in response, Flash popped his head in the room.

 

“Guys, we’re ready if you have everything finished,” he said, looking between us.

 

“Yeah, I grabbed the four plates waitress style, the way my mom taught me, and walked into the living room. Betty had the main menu pulled up.

 

“Do you mind putting on subtitles?” Flash asked, taking his plate of sugary fruit as he sat on the couch beside her. Peter sat on Betty’s other side, while I sat on the floor between Flash’s legs.

 

“Sure,” Betty said through the strawberry in her mouth, starting up the show after everyone was settled in.

 

We only got through six of the hour long episodes before I could hear Betty’s gentle snores. I glanced up and saw she had her head on Flash’s shoulder, cuddling his arm like a teddy bear. Peter drape a blanket gently around her shoulders, making eye contact with Flash for a moment. I looked back to the screen, only making it a few more minutes before I started to drift off to the sound of Six and Baltar talking about the existence of God.

 

I was trapped in that state where I awake but asleep, blinking in and out of reality, unsure of what reality even was. At some point a soft blanket was tucked around me, and a pillow was propped between Flash’s knees for me to rest my head on.

 

The words and sounds coming from the TV blended with what I barely recognized as Peter and my friend’s voices. They Spoke quietly, but in a way that assumed Betty and I were out cold. I only caught a few words here and there between waves of unconsciousness.

 

“Peter,” I heard Flash say at one point.

 

Peter stopped him, “I understand, you don’t have to explain it if you don’t want to.”

 

“I want to. You deserve and explanation-”

 

Darkness and quiet.

 

“Why do you care about him this deeply? You’ve only known him for a week.” Peter’s voice.

 

“He’s special. There is something very special about him. Betty was caught by it too. I have a feeling you can sense it too.” Flash’s voice.

 

Darkness and quiet.

 

“I promised I would be honest with you, so I have to tell you something,” Flash Spoke me into the dim light again. “I know your secret-”

 

An explosion on screen caught my thin attention span before I could hear what he said.

 

“How long have you known?” Peter asked.

 

“Ever since DC.”

 

“But the way you were acting-”

 

“The way I treated you was the act.”

 

Darkness and quiet. This time permanent. It overtook me, leaving me floating in an endless abyss with no beginning or end. I didn’t dream often, unless it was a nightmare. Either I would stay like this or a nightmare would break through the peace.

 

The moment I felt a pressure on my neck in the shape of a hand, I knew this was going to be a long night. At least this night I had my friends to wake up to when the light returned.


End file.
